Ten Sharp
Under The Water-Line

Let me tell you a little story of ordinary serendipity: a sultry Sunday afternoon in August, at my sister's house. She and I are engaged in a debate about the actual depth and artistic and cultural relevance of Ligabue, a conversation that not even Aristotle and Plato in the library of Athens, and meanwhile, we're listening without too much attention to Radio Capital TV. A great channel this, in truth, the only music channel truly worthy of the name across the ether, as well as a good mine of forgotten gems for a rowdy and dissident pop lover like myself. The programming flows as smoothly as oil between an intriguing "Long Train Runnin'" by the Doobie Brothers, a languid "5 O' Clock In The Morning" by the legendary Village People, and a tedious Phil Collins that goes in one ear and out the other at the speed of 12 parsecs. Then I hear something that makes my antennae perk up: the song is simply called "You", the band Ten Sharp, never heard of them. I ask my dear sister for some insight, but even she can't remember, meanwhile, I memorize it and promise myself to delve deeper into it.

And that's how, in the most banal and random way, you can find music to fall for, and I was struck by that song: sweet, romantic, and energetic, that piano so clear, that voice beautiful, balanced, and in tune, and that elegant yet full of passion sound, a bit soul with some Latin nuances. As soon as I discover that the aforementioned Ten Sharp are Dutch, it all becomes clearer to me, bands of nationality other than Anglo-American are absolutely not allowed a broad and prolonged success, at most a more or less ephemeral hit and run, exactly what happened to Ten Sharp in 1990 with "You". This duo, formed by singer Marcel Kapteijn and keyboardist and arranger Niels Hermes, active in the local Dutch scene since 1982, officially debuted in 1991 with the here-reviewed "Under The Water-Line" and it was a success right away: "You" entered the top ten in England, but it all ended there, Ten Sharp, as demonstrated with this first release, deserved much, much more.

"Under The Water-Line" is a classy album: catchy blue-eyed soul, perfectly played and carefully curated in terms of sound and arrangements, there's something of Billy Joel and Elton John's "Sleeping With The Past" in this album, along with reminiscences of Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, and, which never hurts, Marcel Kapteijn is a Singer with a capital S, very smooth voice, knows how and when to make an impact, but without overdoing it, technically very skilled and infinitely superior to the insipid and much more famous Mick Hucknall, the alleged little king of the genre. For a pop album released at the turn of the '80s, "Under The Water-Line" features very little electronics: piano, brass, some acoustic guitar, and double bass prevail: a natural and elegant sound, and even the songwriting does not betray the high expectations generated by "You". The standout tracks are intense and captivating soul ballads like "When The Spirit Slips Away" with its magnificent orchestrations and "Rich Man" with its slightly electronically tinged gospel-rock, but there's also the carefree lightness of "Ain't My Beating Heart", the black brilliance of "Ray", a nice tribute to Ray Charles, melancholic ballads like "Lonely Heart" and the semi-acoustic "Some Sails", which stands out for its splendid choir work and vocal overdubs and some synth with the intriguing "Who Needs Women" and a nocturnal and driving "When The Snow Falls". A perfect closing with the retro swing of "Closing Hour", which with its plush and velvety elegance manages to perfectly evoke the atmosphere of an evening in a piano bar.

Ten songs, perhaps the perfect number for a pop album, and a guaranteed instant classic effect, no falling in style and a beautiful feeling of human warmth and craftsmanship quality. Yes, I really think this album is practically free of defects and deserves the highest marks.